Did you know that sediment could be a critical resource for coastal resilience? In this episode of the People Places Planet Podcast, host Georgia Ray speaks with Derek Brockbank of the Coastal States Organization (CSO) and Dr. Nicole Elko of the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) about sediment placement regulations and the beneficial use of dredged material. Brockbank and Dr. Elko recently published a report that provides a comparative analysis of state and federal regulations on sediment in coastal zones. They discuss the role of sediment on coastal protection and restoration, obstacles to beneficial use, and best practices for policy makers. Lastly, Dr. Elko and Brockbank explain the important work that they do at ASBPA and CSO.
U.S. Supreme Court Limits Federal Jurisdiction Over Wetlands
JD Supra
June 15, 2023
In a 5-4 decision issued on May 25, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed the applicability of federal Clean Water Act regulatory authority over wetlands that have a relatively permanent connection to other federal waters. The crux of the Court’s holding in Sackett v. EPA is that, in order to be considered waters of the United States (WOTUS), wetlands and other water features must be “indistinguishable” from traditional navigable waters due to a continuous surface connection...
Half the nation’s wetlands just lost federal protection. Their fate is up to states.
Stateline
June 16, 2023
States’ to-do lists just got a little longer: Decide how — or whether — to oversee building, planting and water quality in some wetland areas. Last month, a U.S. Supreme Court decision struck down federal protections for wetlands covering tens of millions of acres across the country, leaving no regulation of those areas in nearly half the states...
At the Environmental Law Institute, interns have the opportunity to develop independent research projects based off their interests. In this episode of the People Places Planet Podcast, ELI’s spring interns, Jenny Tseng and Abhi Vishwanath, join host Georgia Ray to share more about who they are, their independent research work on The Nagoya Protocol and India's Green Hydrogen Investments, and broader projects that they have worked on at the organization.
Model Executive Order Helps Cities Lead by Example on Food Waste
Waste Advantage Magazine
June 6, 2023
A new Model Executive Order on Municipal Leadership on Food Waste Reduction developed by NRDC and the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) can help municipalities reduce the amount of food wasted throughout municipal operations, highlight the importance of reducing food waste, and demonstrate food waste reduction measures that businesses and other entities may voluntarily replicate...
Language changes how we perceive the world around us, and Scott Fisher is no stranger to that concept. Conversant in the Hawaiin language, Scott’s work centers community involvement with the intention of cultivating a loving and caring relationship of the land. His work at the Hawaiʻi Land Trust (HILT) combines sustainable indigineous land management techniques and research on natural bioshields.
In this miniseries, ELI’s Georgia Ray sits down with each of the 2023 National Wetlands Awardees.
Pipeline deal in debt limit deal angers climate advocates. Is it legal?
Washington Post
May 31, 2023
Environmental advocates who have fought the Mountain Valley Pipeline in court for years say a deal between the White House and Congress to force its completion is corrupt and corrosive to democracy. But despite fears in some quarters that the language of the deal built into debt ceiling negotiations will upend the system of checks and balances built in the government, experts say it is likely to withstand any legal challenge...
From remote sensing to carbon sequestration, Bingqing Liu has the research to back it up. Dr. Liu’s work at The Water Institute is taking a deep look at how coastal restoration projects along Louisiana's coast can mitigate climate events and the carbon capturing potential of local ecosystems.
In this miniseries, ELI’s Georgia Ray sits down with each of the 2023 National Wetlands Awardees.
Bridging the gap between peacebuilders and environmentalists
Peace News
May 29, 2023
Conflict, environmental threats and disasters, climate change, and food insecurity are often considered separate issues with separate solutions. These issues are, in actuality, all directly related and it is essential to remove the divisions between these fields to collaboratively create solutions. There is often a division between the environment, natural resource management, and climate, versus conflict and peacebuilding. According to Carl Bruch of the Environmental Law Institute...